


To Be There At Dawn

by geckoholic



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bathtub Sex, Cunnilingus, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Families of Choice, Post-Canon, Reunion Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 08:49:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19269838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geckoholic/pseuds/geckoholic
Summary: For the first time since she set out into space, Carol returns home.





	To Be There At Dawn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SinginInTheRaine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinginInTheRaine/gifts).



> I tried for a little mix of some of your, say, quieter likes, such as established relationships or getting together fics, found families, quiet gestures that show affection, and subtle ways of taking care of each other. Hope you like it!
> 
> ETA, June 23: now with 100% more smut. XD
> 
> Not beta'd, so all remaining mistakes are most definitely mine.
> 
> Title is from "Those Nights" by Bastille.

On her first side-trip back home, Carol picks up the cat. She doesn't plan on it. Goose isn't on her mind at all until she reaches orbit, but to hell with it, space can be pretty lonely. She's never been a cat person. Then again, she's been through some shit. People change. Looks like she's a cat person now. 

 

***

 

The moment Carol steps onto the property, Monica comes running, like she's kept an eye on the sky or camped out by the window ever since Carol wrote her she'll swing by. She bounces on the balls on her feet, first hugs Carol so tightly that Carol can still feel it for minutes after, then picks Goose from Carol's arms. The little traitor crawls onto the kid's shoulder immediately. Carol can't exactly blame it. They'll have some more bonding to do. 

One hand clutching Carol's to drag her along, Monica leads her into the living room, and something bittersweet rushes down Carol's spine at the thought that Monica might be afraid she'd forgotten the layout of the house again. That this used to be her home as well. That she could walk through these rooms in the dark and not run into a single thing before Monica even learned to walk at at all. 

“Mooooom!” Monica hollers. “She's here! Carol's here!” 

And only seconds later, Maria walks into the hallway and Carol's heart leaps. Maria smiles so wide that it's a perfect reflection of her own joy. They embrace, and Maria's arms are tight around her, Maria's face pressed to her cheek – suddenly Carol doesn't understand anymore how she managed to stay away for this long. She whispers Maria's name into her ear and pulls away just enough so she can find Maria's lips for quick kiss that promises much, much more for later. 

They part, but remain close, their hands entwined, and start walking towards the kitchen. There's a lot to catch up on; Carol's space adventures and Maria's new job, how Monica's doing at school, what new hobbies she discovers. It's all equally interesting and exciting to Carol, and something deep inside her settles, sitting there, Maria by her side and Monica bouncing around the table, the cat curled up on the chair opposite them. 

 

***

 

Monica bargains for an extension of her bedtime twice, and it's fully dark out by the time she's finally asleep. She made Carol swear – an actual pinky-swear – that she'll still be around to see Monica off to school in the morning, at the very least. And Carol wants that; part of her wants to promise her a lifetime instead, wants to promise it to them both, Monica and Maria, and ignore the wanderlust that doubles with her new duties up there in space. 

As if she's reading Carol's thoughts, Maria takes her hand, while they're watching Monica hop up the stairs two at a time, round the corner, and eventually disappear from view as she heads into the bathroom. “I know you can't stay,” Maria says and hugs Carol from behind, nuzzling at her neck. “And no one understands that better than the two of us.” She pulls Carol's hair back and kisses just underneath her hear, making Carol shiver. “We don't love you any less for leaving.” 

The bathroom door upstairs opens again, and Maria rests her chin on Carol's shoulder while she's admonishing her daughter to go to bed _right now_. Monica pouts but obeys, tells them both good night and trots off to her room, Moose weaving around her legs and following her when she holds the door open a moment longer and trills the cat's name. 

Maria tugs at her hand, leading her away from the stairs. She pulls her into a spin, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “What do you want to do now?” she asks. “Anything you missed up there?”

“You,” Carol says with a grin. 

Maria laughs, her head thrown back, and it's the most beautiful sound in the world – no, the whole universe. “Well, yeah, but what do you want to _do_ with me?” 

And oh, Carol had a lot of time to come up with ideas for that part of her their night. She tabs her forefinger against her chin, pretending to ponder that question, and then turns to usher Maria up the stairs, towards the bathroom. They lock the door behind them and they kiss, the kind that's only broken to come up for air and then immediately continued, all throughout stripping each other. 

There's a large tub, a relict of the previous owner's extravagances, that's big enough to hold them both. It underwent frequent testing about that, in the past, and the results cannot be argued with. 

Carol turns the faucet on, holding her hand into the stream of water to make sure the temperature is right. She looks over her shoulder and basks in Maria's smile, mischievous and excited and threaded through with the same kind of longing that still lingers in Carol even though they're together right now. They'll always miss each other, long for each other; they've been apart for too long for that not to leave lasting scars. 

But Carol doesn't want to be maudlin, not when Maria stands by the door, leaning on the door frame, stark naked, nipples already starting to peak in anticipation. Carol wants her so much it almost makes her dizzy. She pours bath additive into the water for some nice bubbles, and then she climbs inside first. She lays down with her arms over the edge of the tub and her legs spread, an invitation, and Maria doesn't hesitate. The tub is big enough that it doesn't take much maneuvering for both of them to get comfortable. 

Eyes closed, inhaling the scent of the bubble bath and letting the warm water lull her, she closes her arms around Maria. In turn, Maria shifts, angling her head so it rests against Carol's collarbone. They drift for a little while, until Carol starts to run her hands all over Maria's body, aimless, just needing to _touch her_. She brushes a nipple by accident, and Maria moans, writhing in the water. Inspired by her reaction, eager to make her do that again, Carol keeps at it, rubbing and tweaking both nipples. Maria sucks her lower lip between her teeth – they can't be too loud with Monica sleeping a few rooms over – and arches against Carol's body. She twists in Carol's arms so that they can exchange a few desperate, hungry kisses. 

“Bed,” Maria says, breathless, her voice rough with arousal. “Come on, _bed_.” 

They both stand and climb out of the tub, towel each other down somewhat haphazardly, and, wrapped into Maria's oversized bathrobe together, they hurry into the bedroom. The robe lands at the foot of the bed. Still kissing, they land on the bed in a tangle, and for a moment that's all they do: they kiss, touch where they can reach, wrapped up in each other. Then Carol motions for Carol to scoot up, and Maria obeys, spreads her legs wide all on her own once she's gotten comfortable. 

Carol kneels between her thighs and doesn't waste any time at all; she parts Maria's folds with her fingers and licks right at her core, tongue curling, sucking just a tiny little bit. She rubs two fingers through the moisture and gently works them inside Maria, and Maria grab a fistfuls of the sheets with one hand, playing with her own breasts with the other, biting her lip again to keep the noises in. She rocks down on Carol's mouth and hand, and it's not long until she comes on a bitten-off cry. Her thighs tremble, and she's panting wildly, tension shivering her body with each stuttering breath. 

Carol grins up at her, so in love, so endlessly glad that they found each other again. Maria hauls her up for another kiss, then flips them, setting to work on making Carol come apart next. 

 

***

 

The first rays of sun tickle her awake in the morning. It shines right onto their bed, and Carol's eyes aren't used to bright sunlight anymore after so many months on a spaceship. She glances at the clock on the nightstand and finds that she won't have to pass much time at all before it's time to wake Monica for school. 

Maria is curled around her from behind, the sheet pooled around their waists, and the sun paints patterns of light and shadow onto Maria's dark skin. The moment seems endless, out of time, even though Carol knows it's ethereal. She tries to commit every detail to memory: the warmth of Maria's skin against her own, the fruity scent of her bath salts that's now mixed with the smell of sex from last night, the noises floating in from outside. 

Carol closes her eyes lets herself drift, thinking about everything and nothing, until the shrill sound of Maria's alarm clock jolts her awake at once, the moment she so much wanted to preserve irrevocably lost. 

But that's okay. They'll make more, perfect little imprints of their lives together, mental snapshots, so many of them that Carol will lose count. Space may be grand and endless, its siren song incredibly strong, and yet it's not the place she truly belongs. That's wherever Maria and Monica are, where she's loved and loves in return. No adventure, no other place in the whole universe, could ever compare to that. 

Because here, in Maria's arms, Monica asleep in the next room, Carol knows she's _home_.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [dreamwidth](https://geckoholic.dreamwidth.org/), [tumblr](http://lostemotion.tumblr.com) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/spacenerdz).


End file.
